Fences are used in a variety of applications, such as farming, riding rings, and landscaping. Fences are made of many materials, including wood, plastic and wire. The fencing is then attached to a post which is driven into the ground to secure the fence in place. The posts are typically made of either metal or wood, depending on the type of fencing used.
Fences are primarily used in outdoor settings. Accordingly, the posts must be inserted into the ground. In order to install wooden posts, a hole must be dug into the ground. The hole must be appropriately sized to receive the post. Such a hole may be dug with a handtool or shovel. Wooden posts, however, are typically at least 4" by 4" in size, and thus, require a substantial size hole. The time and labor necessary to dig such a hole can be extensive. Consequently, such holes are often dug with a powered auger. However, due to the size and depth of the hole needed to house such posts, it is not uncommon to encounter rocks. Rocks can shear the blades of the auger or clog the machine, rendering it inoperable.
In addition, since fences are generally used outdoors, they must be able to withstand the effects of the weather. In colder climates, frost continually causes the posts to shift out of the ground. The effects of frost heave can be avoided by digging a deep hole having a depth of 30 to 35 inches deep. Deep holes are also desirable since they provide further support to the posts for fences used to enclose animals. The deeper the hole, however, the greater the risk of uncovering rocks, and thus more time. and labor is necessary to dig.
Wooden posts also have limited versatility. Wooden rails are currently attached to wooden posts by nailing them to the posts. As a result, the rails are permanently mounted in one position. The terrain on which fences are used, however, is typically uneven. Therefore, the rail must be customized to accommodate the contour of the land. For example, the ends of the rails may need to be cut at an angle to accommodate the sloping nature of the ground. In addition, nailing the rails to the post may cause them to split with the grain of the wood.
While inserting wooden posts at greater depths helps increase the sturdiness of the fence, the posts themselves are quite rigid. As a result, when force is applied to such posts, such as by animals, they often break. In the case where the fence is being used to contain animals, the broken posts must be replaced immediately to prevent animals from escaping. As a result, fences using such posts require continuous monitoring and maintenance.
A further disadvantage with wooden posts is that they are expensive. Wooden posts can cost at least two-to-three times as much as their metal counterparts. The fact that they must often be replaced further adds to the "cost." In the case of fencing systems covering large areas of land, such costs can be prohibitive.
In light of the disadvantages associated with fences using wooden posts, people often resort to T-posts (i.e., metal posts), as an alternative. T-posts have several advantages over wooden posts. To begin with, T-posts are much smaller than wooden posts. A typical T-post is approximately 11/2".times.11/2" in size. As a result, the hole required to receive the T-post is also smaller.
In addition, T-posts are considerably stronger than wooden posts, and thus are less prone to break. As a result, they rarely need to be replaced. They also are not subject to the ill effects of frost heave. As a result, the depth of the hole for receiving the post is approximately half that required for wooden posts.
A further advantage of T-posts is that the hole need not be dug. Rather, T-posts are driven into the ground with a post driver. This feature not only drastically reduces the amount of time required to install the post, but also makes their installation virtually effortless.
Another advantage of T-posts is that they are more flexible. Due to the malleability of the metal, when forces are applied to the post, the post bends. Therefore, instead of having to be replaced, it can be repaired by merely bending the post back to its original position. This capability further reduces the costs associated with this alternative.
One major disadvantage with T-posts, however, is that currently they can only be used to connect wire fencing. Wire fences, however, are not aesthetically pleasing. In fact, in the case of landscaping, where aesthetics is of the utmost importance, such fences are unacceptable. Wire fences are also very dangerous, especially when used as a means for containing animals. Animals often have a hard time seeing the wire, especially at night. As a result, they get entangled in the fence, often severely maiming them. In the case of show or racing animals, where the health and physical appearance of the animal is of utmost importance, such a consequence is unacceptable. Depending on the extent of the injury, the animal may no longer be able to be shown or raced. In some cases, the injury can permanently put the animal out of commission.
Accordingly, there is a need for a connector assembly which connects non-wire rails to a T-post so that the advantages of both may be obtained in one fence system. In particular, there is a need for a connector assembly in which the rails may be pivotally mounted about a plurality of axes with respect to the T-post. With such a connector assembly, a safe and sturdy fence system which is relatively inexpensive, is easy to install, and can be used in a variety of applications may be achieved.